PITTSBURG, Kan. -- Washburn led early Friday morning but was unable to keep No. 7 Missouri Southern down as the Ichabods fall 8-4 in the second round of the MIAA Championship Tournament. They will play the winner of the afternoon game between No. 2 Central Missouri and the host team Pittsburg State with first pitch set for 7 p.m. on Friday night.
Neither team got on the board in the first inning, in the second Cal Watkins and Grant Jones knocked back-to-back singles to put two on. With two outs Payton McHarg singled into center field to bring home Watkins and open the scoring. Cooper Carlgren kept the Lions (41-13) off the board for the first two innings. In the third Missouri Southern tied the game with a one-out solo home run to right field.
Washburn (32-20) came back in the home half of the inning and re-took the lead after Hayden Priest slugged a one-out solo shot to match the top of the inning. Carlgren left two Lions on base in the top of the fourth to keep the Ichabods in front.
In the top of the fifth the score was knotted up on another solo home run from Missouri Southern. The next three hitters collected hits with a double sandwiched between a pair of singles, the second scoring a run. Jayden Payne took over on the mound and got a ground ball double play to end the inning allowing just two runs.
The Lions continued to add runs in the sixth with the first two batters reaching via a single and a walk. A one-out intentional walk loaded the bases before a single scored two runs. Another single plated a third run and the Lions led by four after Washburn went down in order in the bottom of the inning.
Jones worked a leadoff four pitch walk for the Ichabods in the seventh. With one out McHarg walked as well to put two on. Cash Jay knocked a two-out double into the right center gap, scoring both runners and cutting the deficit in half.
Missouri Southern scored one run in the eighth after a walk, error and single into center field. In the ninth they did the same, scoring one on a pair of hits to go up 8-4. Washburn got two on in the bottom of the inning but couldn't change the score.
The Ichabods picked up nine hits in the game with Jay, Priest and Scott each picking up two. They used eight pitchers in the game, combining for five strikeouts with 13 hits allowed. Carlgren led the group, going 4.1 innings with three strikeouts and three runs allowed.
Drew Townsend scored four runs for Missouri Southern while going 2-3 with two home runs.
